Church Point, June 3, 2021 – Université Sainte-Anne is proud to announce that it will award the Louis E. Deveau Award of Excellence to “Société de la garderie Le Petit Voilier” during its virtual college graduation ceremony on Thursday, June 24, 2021. The entire community is welcome to join the celebration, which will be broadcast live on the Université Sainte-Anne YouTube account.
Since 1991, Le Petit Voilier has been active in the early childhood sector, offering quality childcare services in French primarily to the Acadian and Francophone community in the HRM metropolitan area. The company now has seven centres located in Dartmouth, Halifax, Bedford, and Sackville and employs over 100 people. With projected revenues of $5 million for 2021, it is the largest childcare service in Nova Scotia (both French and English), serving nearly 650 children aged 3 months to 12 years. It offers before- and after-school care, as well as the "Grandir en français" preschool program.
With its wide range of programs, Le Petit Voilier also offers a resource service that allows it to accept all Francophone children, regardless of their needs. The ties it forges with families and partners allow it to contribute to the development and well-being of this community, which exists in a predominantly Anglophone environment.
“We are pleased to present this award of excellence to Le Petit Voilier, a daycare provider that for nearly 30 years has demonstrated its capacity for innovation, its entrepreneurial spirit, and its willingness to meet the community's real needs. It is a preferred partner for Université Sainte-Anne as part of our continued efforts to train qualified Francophone educators.”
– Allister Surette, Université Sainte-Anne's President and Vice-Chancellor.
Its partners include many Nova Scotia Francophone organizations, including the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP), the Centre d'appui à la petite enfance de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CAPENE), Immigration francophone Nouvelle-Écosse, the Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ), as well as the IWK Hospital and NS Hearing and Speech Centres. Each year, it takes on several interns from the Early Childhood Education program at Université Sainte-Anne and provides them with all the support they need to fully master the various aspects of the profession of educator.
Since the centres are located in CSAP schools, this school board is Le Petit Voilier's most important partner. This partnership allows the children to develop in a Francophone environment, to become familiar with the school environment at a very young age and to easily make the transition to school.
The Atlantic Better Business Bureau awarded the Le Petit Voilier daycare its Ethics Award in 2012 (now known as the Torch Award).
In recognition of its entrepreneurial spirit and leadership in the early childhood sector, as well as its commitment and support to the Francophone and Acadian community in the HRM metropolitan area, Université Sainte-Anne is proud to present the Louis E. Deveau Award of Excellence to the “Société de la garderie Le Petit Voilier”.
About Université Sainte-Anne
Université Sainte-Anne, the only French language post-secondary institution in Nova Scotia, offers university and college-level courses as well as a French immersion program and customized training in French as a second language. Recognized for its excellent programs as well as its unique and exceptional living environment, Sainte-Anne offers experiential learning opportunities that promote student engagement and success, and an atmosphere which encourages a culture of excellence in research and development. Solidly established in its community, Université Sainte-Anne is a partner of choice for all those who wish to strengthen the vitality of the regions surrounding its 5 campuses as well as all of Acadie throughout Nova Scotia.
For more information
Rachelle LeBlanc, Director of Communications and Marketing
Université Sainte-Anne
Tel.: 902-769-2114 Extension 7222
Email: